NORCROSS, Ga. — A 900-mile relocation of a church from Buffalo, N.Y., to Norcross ended with a crash.
Eyewitnesses said a 7 1/2-foot, 1,600-pound statue of St. Gerard was knocked over by a worker as it was being set up inside a church sanctuary, cracking the head off at about 2 p.m. Saturday.
The statue was still in its wrapping and when the wrapping was removed, it was discovered that the head had broken off. Pat Chivers, a spokeswoman for the Catholic Archdiocese of Atlanta, said, "it was a pretty clean break at the neck, but it can be restored."
The Parish of Mary Our Queen of Norcross bought the classical-style St. Gerard's Roman Catholic Church and plans to take it apart and have it reassembled at the Mary Our Queen parish.
"It's technically a pretty complex undertaking to make sure that their desires and dreams are doable," said Rev. David Dye with the Mary Our Queen.
A dwindling parish membership forced the Diocese of Buffalo to close the 99-year-old church in January 2008.
The entire church transplantation should be completed in 18 to 24 months, church officials said.
WSBTV
